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Sunday Science (15 – 21 Nov 2020)

Science News related to SpaceX Crew to ISS, Self-Powered Sensors, Holes in Greenland Ice Sheet, Life Formation Before Stars, Recycling Wind Turbine Blades, Molecule to Block Coronavirus, Megaflood on Mars, Insta-Bling at Room Temperature, New Kind of Electrons, Power & Speed Limit of Lasers, Biochemical Random Number, NASA Satellite for Sea Levels


Note: None of the news bits (and cover picture) given here are written/owned by NewAnced's authors. The links on each of the news bits will redirect to the news source. Content given under each headline is a basic gist and not the full story.

 

Source: NASA 16 Nov 2020


An international crew of astronauts is en route to the International Space Station following a successful launch on the first NASA-certified commercial human spacecraft system in history. NASA’s SpaceX Crew-1 mission lifted off at 7:27 p.m. EST Sunday from Launch Complex 39A at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

 

Source: Washington University in St. Louis 16 Nov 2020


Researchers have been working to create sensors that can run on the least amount of energy. Using quantum tunneling, they have built a self-powered device that, with a small initial energy input, can run on its own for more than a year. And all it requires is four capacitors and two transistors.


Original written by: Brandie Jefferson

 

Source: University of Arkansas 17 Nov 2020


Holes that carry surface meltwater to the base of the Greenland ice sheet, called moulins, are much larger than previously thought, according to a new study based on observation and first-hand exploration by a team. The extra volume could influence the stability of the Greenland ice sheet and how quickly it slides toward the sea.

 
 

Source: Queen Mary University of London 17 Nov 2020


An international team of scientists has shown that glycine, the simplest amino acid and an important building block of life, can form under the harsh conditions that govern chemistry in space. The results suggest that glycine, and very likely other amino acids, form in dense interstellar clouds well before they transform into new stars and planets.

 

Source: DOE/National Renewable Energy Laboratory 17 Nov 2020


A new material for wind blades that can be recycled could transform the wind industry, making renewable energy more sustainable than ever before while lowering costs in the process. Researchers have demonstrated the feasibility of thermoplastic resin and validated its structural integrity on a thermoplastic composite blade manufactured.

 

Source: Université de Genève 18 Nov 2020


A research group has identified inhibitors that are up to 5,000 times more effective than the one most often used today. Preliminary tests demonstrate the blocking of the cellular entry of viruses expressing the SARS-CoV-2 proteins. The study paves the way for research into new antivirals.

 
 

Source: Cornell University 18 Nov 2020


Floods of unimaginable magnitude once washed through Gale Crater on Mars’ equator around 4 billion years ago – a finding that hints at the possibility that life may have existed there, according to data collected by NASA’s Curiosity rover and analyzed in a joint project by scientists.


Original written by: Blaine Friedlander

 

Source: Australian National University 19 Nov 2020


A team of scientists has defied nature to make diamonds in minutes in a laboratory at room temperature - a process that normally requires billions of years, huge amounts of pressure and super-hot temperatures. The team made two types of diamonds: the kind found on an engagement ring and another type of diamond called Lonsdaleite, which is found in nature at the site of meteorite impacts such as Canyon Diablo in the US.

 

Source: Vienna University of Technology 19 Nov 2020


Scientists have succeeded in explaining a completely different type of electron emission, which can occur in carbon materials such as graphite. This electron emission had been known for about 50 years, but its cause was still unclear.

 
 

Source: George Washington University 19 Nov 2020


Researchers have developed a new design of vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) that demonstrates record-fast temporal bandwidth. This was possible by combining multiple transverse coupled cavities, which enhances optical feedback of the laser. VCSELs have emerged as a vital approach for realizing energy-efficient and high-speed optical interconnects in data centers and supercomputers.

 

Source: ETH Zurich 20 Nov 2020


A research team has described a non-​physical method of generating such numbers: one that uses biochemical signals and actually works in practice. In the past, the ideas put forward by other scientists for generating random numbers by chemical means tended to be largely theoretical.


Original written by: Fabio Bergamin

 

Source: The Verge 21 Nov 2020


NASA plans to launch a satellite that will follow the effects of climate change on the world’s oceans and gather data to improve weather forecasts. The satellite will continue NASA’s three decades-long work to document rising sea levels and will give scientists a more precise view of the coastlines than they’ve ever had from space.


Original written by: Justine Calma

 

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